Biomimetic surface modification of honeycomb films via a "grafting from" approach

Hydrophobic isoporous membranes were fabricated using the "breath figure" method from polystyrene stars synthesized via ATRP. The living polymer chain ends at the surface of the films were then used, without further modification, in a "grafting-from" approach to grow surface-linked polyglycidyl methacrylate chains under conditions that maintained the regular honeycomb structure. This versatile functional surface was then used as a platform to build a small library of surfaces using a variety of simple chemistries: (i) the acid hydrolysis of the epoxide to form bis-alcohol groups and (ii) utilizing the "click-like" epoxide-amine reaction to functionalize the surface with a model biomolecule-(biotinamido)pentylamine. The successful modifications were confirmed by a combination of spectroscopic and biological means. Changes in the growth characteristics of nonmotile Psychrobacter sp. strain, SW5, on the honeycomb films, provided further evidence confirming changes in the hydrophobicity of the surface upon grafting.